Planning to get pregnant? Prepare your body through these exercises

Thinking about starting a family? Congratulations! Planning a baby requires you to take into consideration several factors such as financial stability to bear the added experiences or the mental health of both the partners to be able to welcome a child in their life. Another important factor many women often miss is preparing their body for the challenges of carrying a baby. If your body is not fit or strong enough, you can have your pregnancy journey filled with back pain, leg pain and other discomforts. Here is how you can prepare your body for pregnancy.

Prior to conceiving, it's crucial to attend to any enduring musculoskeletal problems like sciatica, plantar fasciitis, hip issues, or back pain. Injuries or discomfort tend to intensify during pregnancy due to heightened spinal pressure and hormonal alterations. Consider consulting a physical therapist to tackle these issues a few months before attempting to get pregnant.

Doing regular cardio is helpful in keeping you fit, especially if you are planning to get pregnant. The reason: During pregnancy, the expectant mother's blood volume increases by 45 percent, heart rate increases and she may also face a risk of gestational hypertension. Exercise helps with all of these stresses, according to health professionals. Choose an aerobic activity that you enjoy and can maintain consistently. Options such as walking, running, swimming, cycling, and dancing are excellent choices. Cardio can also be done while you are pregnant, however, it is important to consult your doctor for the same, as the safety can vary from person to person.

Pregnancy places strain on the pelvic floor, a network of muscles at the pelvic base. Weakness in this area can lead to issues like incontinence or discomfort during pregnancy. To enhance pelvic floor strength, consider exercises such as quick flick Kegels, heel slides, happy baby pose, lunges, and squats.

As pregnancy progresses, your core muscles must support the rapid growth of your uterus and abdomen. Weak core muscles can result in lower back pain and discomfort, as they struggle to bear the increasing weight. Strengthen your core with activities like planks, side planks, and enhance abdominal flexibility with breathing exercises. Engaging in workouts like yoga and Pilates can enhance both core strength and flexibility.

Your lower-body muscles will work overtime during and after pregnancy. They will be bearing the additional pregnancy weight and also play a crucial role in safely lifting and lowering the baby after birth. Include exercises like squats, bridges, and deadlifts to strengthen your glutes and legs.

Read more: Here are 5 wrong reasons to have children